𝓡𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓶 𝔁 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂

48. Rin Itoshi angst chaper 9-11

Chapter 9

Weeks passed, and the connection between Rin and Baro deepened. Where there was once only banter and rivalry, there was now warmth and companionship. Rin felt lighter whenever he was around Baro, as if the heaviness that had shadowed him for so long was slowly dissipating. He didn’t fully understand why, but he didn’t question it either. Spending time with Baro was a relief, a strange sense of comfort he had never quite felt before.

Reo, however, saw what Rin couldn’t. He noticed the way Rin’s face softened whenever Baro entered the room, the way his voice lost its usual edge around him, and the way he seemed… happier. It was subtle, but for someone who had watched Rin struggle, the difference was clear.

One evening, Reo was hanging out at Rin’s place, sprawled on the floor beside him as they studied for an upcoming exam. Or, rather, Reo was pretending to study while sneaking glances at Rin, who seemed unusually focused.

After a while, Reo couldn’t hold back anymore. He closed his textbook with a loud snap, causing Rin to look up, annoyed.

“What?” Rin asked, frowning.

Reo gave him a long, meaningful look. “So, when are you going to admit it?”

Rin blinked, confused. “Admit what?”

Reo rolled his eyes, smirking. “Oh, come on, don’t play dumb. It’s obvious you like him.”

Rin’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“Baro.”

At the mention of his name, Rin’s expression faltered. He turned away, busying himself with his textbook, but Reo could see the faint pink creeping up his cheeks.

“You’re imagining things,” Rin muttered, refusing to meet Reo’s gaze. “Baro and I are just… friends.”

“Sure,” Reo said, dragging out the word with exaggerated skepticism. “Because you get all flustered like this over all your friends, right?”

Rin scowled, but Reo didn’t back down.

“Look, Rin,” Reo continued, his tone softening. “I’m not trying to tease you. I just… I’ve seen how much happier you’ve been since you started hanging out with him. It’s like… I don’t know, he’s good for you.”

Rin’s shoulders relaxed, but he still looked uncertain. “You really think so?”

Reo nodded. “Yeah, I do. And I think, deep down, you know it too. You just haven’t let yourself feel it yet.”

Rin fell silent, lost in thought. He didn’t fully understand his feelings toward Baro, but Reo’s words stirred something in him—a quiet, tentative realization that maybe, just maybe, he felt more than he had let himself believe.

Chapter 10

Two weeks later, Baro approached Reo after soccer practice. Reo noticed immediately that Baro looked more serious than usual, his confident, easygoing demeanor replaced by a rare hint of hesitation.

“Reo,” Baro began, his tone uncharacteristically careful. “Can I ask you something?”

Reo raised an eyebrow, curious. “Sure, what’s up?”

Baro hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck as he struggled to find the right words. “What… what does Rin like? I mean… I want to know more about him.”

Reo’s eyes lit up with understanding. He knew this was more than a casual question; Baro’s voice held a warmth, a vulnerability that he hadn’t heard before. He recognized it instantly, and a slow smile spread across his face.